Augustine, I don't think there's any insect or fungal damage, BUT there was some damage from leaving it in my SUV one early spring day (w/ the windows down a good way parked in mostly shade). The damage wasn't there when I put it in that morning and that afternoon when I took it out I noticed it. Maybe that's what you saw.

I've been fertilizing weekly w/ Miracle Grow (and humic acid when I remember), and the soil is covered with teabags of organic fertilizer as well. I've seen significant improvement in apparent bud strength since those last photos so I'm hoping that the spring will see good strong growth.

I have had mixed success with JRP, I purchased 3 seedlings spring of 2014 and 3 spring of 2015. Out of the 6 total, one has thrived and has had great rate of growth. The strongest buds are 3/8" and the weakest are 1/4". It is being grown in a grow box with 4" deep inorganic media, comprised of red lava, pumice, perlite, and charcoal at a ratio of 3:3:1:1. I also fertilized with a mix of various organic fertilizer in teabags, with alternating weekly addition of humic acid mixed with trace minerals or fish emulsion. When I moved this seedling in to winter storage I found it had grown a few foot long roots along the underside of the grow box. ?